Electrically-propelled vessel



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A D.` OFLAHERTY. ELEGTRICALLY PR'OPELLEDVESSEL.

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Patented' Mar. 1, 189.8,

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. OFLAHERTY. ELEGTRIGALLY PROPELLED VESSEL.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. l, 18.98.

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' citizen of the United States, residing at Kanthe vessel, and saidpropeller-screws vare pro- -hull of which is provided at each side withUNiTnD STATES PATENT Prien.

DANIEL OFLAHERTY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRlCALLY-PROI'LELLED VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent No. 599,862, dated March 1,1898.

' Application filed May 12, 1897. Serial No. 636.159. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL OFLAHERTY, a

sas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Propelled Vessels,of which the following is a full and complete specification, such aswill enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

- This invention relates to electrically-pro pelled vessels; and theobject thereof is to provide a vessel of this class which is providedwith improved propelling devices which are operated entirely byelectricity and in which the steering or guiding mechanism is alsoelectrically controlled.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is aside view of a vessel made according to my invention, part of the hullof, the vessel being broken away to better show the interiorconstruction; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 aplan view of the steering mechanism.

In the drawings forming part of this speciication the separate parts ofmy improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in eachof the views, and in the practice of my invention I provide a vessel thelongitudinal concavities 5, which are so situated as to be below thewater-line and in which are mounted propeller-screws 6, three of whichare used on each side. of the vessel, as shown in the drawings,` but anydesired number of which may be employed.

The propeller-screws 6 are arranged in longitudinal line along the sidesof the hull of vided with shafts 7, and the inner ends of the endpropeller-snai ts and both ends of the central shaft are supported inboxes 8, which project into the longitudinal concavities in which saidpropeller-shafts are mounted, and the outer ends of the endpropeller-shafts are supported in bearings 9, and the boXesS areprovided with electrical motors 10, and the propellen-shafts areprovided with gear-wheels 11, and the motors 10 with gear-wheels 12,which operate in connection therewith.

The motors 10 may be of any desired form or construction, and in thedrawings I have only shown the casings thereof, and located in the hullof the'vessel at any desired point are boilers 13, one of which is shownin full lines in Fig. 1 and two of which are shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, and these boilers are provided with a smoke-stack 14, andsuitably arranged within the hull of the vessel at any desired point arestorage batteries or accumulators 16, any desired number of which may beemployed.

Ialso employ an electrical generator or generators 17, and saidgenerator or generators are in electrical connection with the storagebatteries or accumulators 16, as shown at 18, and said storage batteriesor accu'mulators are in electrical connection with the motors 10, asshown at 19, and extending from said storage batteries or accumulators16 are conductors 20, which lead directly to the pilothouse, andotherelectrical conductors 21 are in connection with the motors 10 and alsolead to the pilot-house.

The steering mechanism consists of a rudder 22, which is connected witha vertical rudder-shaft 23, with which is connected a tiller 24, andmounted in front of the tiller 24 is an electrical motor 25, which isprovided `with a gear-wheel 26, and mounted at the rear of thegear-wheel 26 and at each side thereof are drums 27, each of which isprovided with a gear-wheel 28, and said gear-wheels 28 are adapted to beoperated by the gear-wheel 26, and mounted on the drums 27 are tillercords or ropes 29, and each of these cords or ropes is passed around apulley 30, and said cords are then crossed and connected with theopposite arms of the tiller 24, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Connectedwith the electrical motor 25 of the storage mechanism are two wires orconductors 31, which also lead to the pilothouse, these wires orconductors being shown in Fig. 1, and the generator 17 may also be indirect connection with the motor or motors, as shown at 32.

My invention is not limited to any particular form of generators,batteries, or accumulators, nor to any particular form of motor, nor tothe particular means herein shown and described for connecting thepropeller-shafts with the motor, and any suitable construc- IOO tion maybe employed for this purpose, and it will be apparent that many changesin and modifications of the construction herein described may be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing itsadvantages.

In my invention the generator, propellershafts, steering mechanism, andother operative parts are under the control of the pilot and may beoperated directly from the pilothouse, and the advantages of myimprovement will be apparent to all those familiar with the constructionof ocean-going vessels.

The electrical plant will occupy only a fraction of the space of a steamplant, and instead of the great propeller-shafts employed insteam-propelled vessels, which usually weigh from eighty to one hundredtons, my improved vessel will have aplurality of shafts mounted at theopposite sides thereof, each of which need not weigh over four tons, andsaid propeller-shafts may be operated singly or altogether, at the willof the pilot, and the propellers at one side may be turned in onedirection, while those at the opposite side are turned in the oppositedirection, and when the entire complement of propellers is in action thenoise and confusion thereof will be reduced to a minimum and there willbe no jar caused bythe irregular action of said propellers. Theexcessive heat is also almost entirely done away with, and the enormousstrain which is occasioned in vessels of the usualI construction byreason of the propeller running in the air, which is frequentlyoccasioned by the pitching of the vessel, is also entirely avoided. Inmy improvement the power is also distributed along the entire length ofthe vessel equally on both sides and the propellers are placed lowenough to avoid any danger of not being submerged at all times. i

The outer ends of the end propeller-shafts may also be provided withmotors, and when thus constructed there will be two motors connectedwith each shaft, and it will be apparent that the hull of the vessel maybe constructed in any desired manner and any desired number ofgenerators may be employed, and the storage batteries or aceumulatorswill serve as ballast for the vessel, and the generating-machines may bekept at work, so as to generate electricity and to charge the batterieswhen the ship is in port as well as when the vessel is in motion.

It will also be apparent that there is comparatively no danger whateverof all the propellers getting out of order or breaking at the same time,and there will therefore be no danger of the vessel foundering orbecoming unmanageable at sea.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A vessel provided with a plurality ofpropeller-shafts which extend longitudinally of the sides thereof belowthe water-line, spiral plates mounted upon said shafts, said shaftsbeing mounted in bearings and being projected into hollow casings,electric motors mounted in said easings and adapted to engage saidextensions, said motors being in electrical connection with thepilot-house and said vessel being provided with an electrical steeringmechanism which is also in electrical connection with thepilot-house,substantially as shown and described.

2. The herein-described means for propelling and steering vessels,comprising the combination with a vessel, thehull of which is providedat each side thereof with longitudinal concavities 5, situated below thewater-line, of propeller-screws 6 mounted on shafts 7, boxes Ssupporting said shafts 7, the outer end of said propeller-shafts beingsupported in bearings 9, electric motors lO mounted in said boxes S,gear-wheels ll mounted on said shafts 7 and the said motors beingprovided with gear-wheels 12 adapted to mesh therewith, said motors 10being in electrical connection with a generator and with storagebatteries and being also in electrical connection with the pilot-house,and means for steering said vessel, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The herein-described means for propelling and steering vesselscomprising the combination with a vessel, the hull of which is providedat each side thereof with longitudinal concavities 5, situated below thewater-line, of propeller-screws (5 mounted on the shafts 7, boxes 8supporting said shafts 7 the outer ends of said propeller-shafts beingsupported in bearings 9, electric motors l0 mounted in said boxes S,gear-wheels 11 mounted on said shafts 7 and the said motors beingprovided with gear-wheels l2 adapted to mesh therewith, said motors IObeing in electrical connection with a generatorand with storagebatteries and being also in electrical connection with the pilot-house,and means for steering said vessel, consisting of a rudder 22 mounted ona shaft 23, tiller 24C, electric motor 25, having gear-wheels 26, drums27, provided with gear-wheels 2S adapted to mesh with said gearwheels2G, cords 29 mounted on said drums, said cords being passed around apulley 30 and connected with the opposite arms of the tiller 24, saidmotor 25 being also connected with the pilot-house and with an electricgenerator and storage battery, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Ihave signed mynaine, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of May,1807.

DANL. OFLAIIERTY. lVitnesses:

Il. C. RAMsEv, M. W. STEWART.

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